Addressing an ancient Greek mythological tale.
This one is strange.
Most of the cantata comes from the perspective of the chorus. The women of the chorus, sometimes with the men, fret regarding The Return of Odysseus. The men of the chorus come in as roving sailors telling three stories from the hero's odyssey following the Trojan War.
Meanwhile the suitors, hoping to wed Queen Penelope of Ithaca on the official announcement of King Odysseus' death, hang around like vultures, and are sung by the tenors.
Eventually, a challenge is raised by the Queen to determine who may wed her, by way of the suitors proving themselves through their ability to wield an epic magical object. Suffice to say, everything ends up just fine for Penelope in this cantata.
Malcolm Arnold's music is half serious scene setting and half cabaret style and filmic harmonies. The jury is still out on The Return of Odysseus for this listener. I don't mind quirky or strange, nor do I mind a mix of contrasting styles; and yet, this one is just so odd. As I understand it, Arnold didn't write large-scale choral/orchestral works, and perhaps this is one of the reasons why. Otherwise, the 30-minute cantata comes and goes by pretty quickly, and that is enough for me to pronounce utter enjoyment at listening to the work.
The City of Glasgow Chorus is a pretty solid ensemble overall, even if their sound lies more on the amateur side. Nothing atrocious, but tuning, vowels, and balance can rear their head every once in a while. So too the Scottish Opera Orchestra, whose brass is geared towards the trombones. Again, this is a thoroughly professional performance, it is just that these ensembles lean towards regional abilities. Personally, I would love to sing in or direct ensembles of this caliber; their love for music and abilities are infectious.
Sonically, the chorus is captured very closely; certainly well in front of the orchestra. This highlighting makes it sound like the recording came from the 70s instead of the mid 2000s. On the other hand, the words are more intelligible than most choral/orchestral recordings, so I take the positive with the negative in stride.
Joining the main feast of The Return of Odysseus is Vaughan Williams' Toward the Unknown Region, also for chorus and orchestra. This is a 13-minute, single-movement work I have tried over and over again to enjoy. In the end, it just rambles and ambles directionless, but with plenty of Vaughan Williams color. Add to that, puffed-up verse from Walt Whitman, and the music is a loss for me. Strange too, for I love that composer's A Sea Symphony, a work which bears many of the same musical and poetic qualities.
I know Darius Milhaud's Suite Française mainly as a wind ensemble piece. Milhaud's music is a whole lot of fun, even if this recording of the orchestral version strikes me as wrong sounding. I hadn't thought of it before now, but the quirks of Milhaud are aptly paired to Arnold's cantata, with Milhaud providing more sincere heart in portions of his music.
This recording is a unique program of choral, orchestral, and choral/orchestral music, one I hope to see more of. Plus the rarity of seeing Malcolm Arnold's The Return of Odysseus, with strong advocacy from all on board, is always to be heralded.
Works
Return of Odysseus (28.20)
Suite Française (15.57)
Toward the Unknown Region (13.17)
Performers
City of Glasgow Chorus
Scottish Opera Orchestra
Graham Taylor, conductor
Label: Divine Art
Year: 2005
Total Timing: 57.54
A fun mix of music!
I am still not sure how I feel regarding Malcolm Arnold's cantata The Return of Odysseus, but as a rare find I cannot complain.
The performances are good, if not bending to the regional side of the performing spectrum. The sonics strike me as odd in the cantata too, although everything is heard clearly.
Find more Arnold recordings HERE!
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